How Much Meat for 25 Guests
Feeding 25 guests takes about half a pound of cooked meat per adult, which means buying more raw because meat loses weight as it cooks, roughly 19.3 lb raw for 25. This calculator switches between cooked and raw weight, handles bone-in cuts, and adds sides, bread, a cost estimate, and a copyable shopping list.
Your plan
About 20
Total items
4
food and drink to buy
Est. cost
$202.05
$8.08 per guest, rough estimate
Planning 0.5 lb cooked meat per adult for 28 guests, standard appetite, with a 10 percent buffer.
- 20 lb
Beef (brisket, steak, ground) (raw, to buy)
0.5 lb cooked per adult
- 133 oz
Starchy side (potato salad, pasta, rice)
5 oz per adult
- 80 oz
Vegetable side or green salad
3 oz per adult
- 40 pieces
Buns or bread rolls
1.5 pieces per adult
Estimate from average US grocery prices, a planning aid, not a quote. Non-USD is converted at rough parity. Set the price level in advanced options for your area, or see how we estimate cost.
Shopping list
Proteins
- Beef (brisket, steak, ground) (raw, to buy)20 lb (21 packs)$
Sides
- Starchy side (potato salad, pasta, rice)133 oz (9 packs)$
- Vegetable side or green salad80 oz (5 packs)$
Bread
- Buns or bread rolls40 pieces (5 packs)$
Tap any price to set what it costs at your store. Prices are average US estimates.
Common questions
- How much meat to buy for 25 people?
- Plan about half a pound of cooked meat per adult, roughly 19.3 lb raw for 25 depending on the cut, since yields drop on cooking. The tool shows both cooked and raw weight.